cians of London, 1851. Translated by a Physician. London 1851. Henry Renshaw, 356, Strand." Squire also, in his 1851 edition of the three Pharmacopoeias, describes Sulphur. Precip. P. L., as "milk of sulphur. Also Garrod in 1868 and Royle and Headland in 1868. EDWIN L. CROW. CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS AND THE MEDICAL ACTS. Sir,-In the Pharmaceutical Journal, December 30th, 1876, Mr. Fryer criticizes the paper read before the Leeds Chemists' Association, reported in the same Journal, December 23rd, and in a letter addressed to you on the 6th inst., I endeavoured to make the subject a little more easily understood. It is satisfactory to find that I have succeeded so far as to obtain from Mr. Fryer an admission in his last letter, that there is no definition of the business or profession of an apothecary in the Act of 1815, except in the 5th section. The assertion of your correspondent in his first letter, that the Act must have been read in the dark" is evidently correct, but cannot be applied to the Leeds chemists. The same want of care in reading my paper has led him to express sorrow that he cannot convince me of the true position of the apothecary, whereas, if he will again refer to it he will find that this is properly understood and clearly expressed. In referring to my letter he again exhibits an obscurity of mental vision, when he says that "Medicine," "Physic," and "Pharmacy," having a similar meaning. This arises from the fact that he has not observed the difference in the spelling of two words used throughout the Act, and which in the sentences where they occur convey quite a different meaning. I refer to practice and practise. In expressing an opinion as to the probable meaning of the word medicine, I qualified it by reference to one section only, and according to modern phraseology. There has therefore been no contradiction, and as Mr. Fryer has advanced no new facts to alter the case, the conclusion arrived at by the Leeds chemists remains in statu quo. E. YEWDALL. Leeds, Jan. 22, 1877. SUNDAY LABOUR. Sir,-If the President of the British Pharmaceutical Conference, when in Glasgow in September last, found reason, in a day's observations, to characterize as "derogatory" one of the aspects of pharmacy in this city, I fancy that were he to stay over Sunday in our city he would find great cause to apply the epithet to another phase of our business as it is conducted here. No one denies the necessity for druggists keeping their shops open for a short time on Sundays for the dispensing of prescriptions and the supply of various articles which are at times required in cases of sudden illness. That these requirements, however, do not justify the druggists of this city in keeping open their shops for so long as they do is clearly indicated by the fact that the establishments in which most dispensing is done are, without exception, open for the shortest time, and those in which scarcely any dispensing is done seem to have no particular hour for closing, and the lurid glare reflected from their show bottles may be seen dazzling the eyes of the most belated straggler as he saunters home to bed. It may be asked, what is the reason of this? The reason would simply appear to be that the latter keep open in order to do a trade. Moreover, the trade which they continue to carry on in effervescing drinks, pick-me-ups and cigars is something wonderful,-in truth I suspect it to be the most profitable day that a goodly number of them have. They inust find it pay or they would not contribute so liberally to their gas bills. Profession, forsooth! Our calling may be so from Monday till Saturday, but on Sunday it is certainly, in many instances, reduced to a huckster's business. The Sunday hours in the better class establishments are, closed from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m, during the hours of church service. Deduct four hours for church service and six hours remain as the time during which they are open. Even these hours are largely in excess of the requirements of necessity. An hour morning, afternoon and night would, in the writer's humble opinion, afford sufficient facilities, to those requiring medicines, for procuring them. Besides, while druggists, who are supposed to be men of fair education, and of whom better things would naturally be expected, keep open shop on Sunday for the unlimited sale of "drinks," cigars and confectionery, it is scarcely fair to make a noise about Sunday trading by persons whose business it is to deal in these articles during week days. Surely our hours of duty during the week are sufficiently long and confining without making them more so by work. ing all day on Sunday. The effect of this system on those who are continually on duty must be exhausting physically and depressing mentally -no leisure being afforded for bodily exercise or intellectual improvement. "No blessed leisure to read or think, And scarcely time to sleep." Mix the soap and glycerine in a mortar, add the perfume to the oil, and rub it in gradually, taking care not to add the oil faster than it can be incorporated. "Zero."-Roscoe's Lessons in Elementary Chemistry' (Macmillan), or Attfield's Chemistry' (Van Voorst). "Ol. Morrhue."-Cod Liver Oil Emulsion.-See Mr. Rogerson's article on this subject in Pharm. Journ. [3], vol. iii., p. 701; also recipes in vol. iv., pp. 466 and 581. A. P. S.-We cannot say, as we have failed entirely to apprehend the principle which has guided the Board of Inland Revenue in some of its recent decisions as to stamping proprietary articles. Charity."-Waring's Therapeutics' (Churchills). G. Mee. Sweet Spirit of Nitre would always contain aldehyd; and "Tincture of Steel," in the commou acceptation of the term, would always contain free muriatic acid. C. C. B.-A certificate that a candidate has been for three years practically engaged in the translation and dispensing of prescriptions would be received, but the candidate would not be allowed to enter for the Minor examination until he had passed the Preliminary. (2). No. (3). Yes. "Carlsbad."-The Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia is published at the institution in Great Ormond Street. "Valkyril."-Possibly your conjecture may be right, but we are unable to give a decided answer to such an indefinite question. "Peter Brady."-Mayne's 'Medical Vocabulary,' published by Churchill, price 10s. W. Jones.-The report was received too late for insertion in the present number. W. G. Hall, (who is requested to prepay his letters in future).-Roscoe's 'Lessons in Flementary Chemisty,' and Oliver's 'Lessons in Elementary Botany' (Macmillans). NOTICE.--Considerable inconvenience and disappointment are frequently caused by neglect of the regulations as to correspondence, letters intended for the Editor being sent to the Publishers or the Secretary, and vice versû. A compliance with the explicit instructions published weekly over the Editorial columns will prevent delay, and the consequent annoyance. COMMUNICATIONS, LETTERS, ETC., have been received from York), Professor Tuson, Mr. Young, Mr. Parker, Mr. SturMr. Castell, Mr. Gittings, Messrs. Wood and Co. (New ton, W. T. H., R. H. M., Alpha, W. P. B. The admixture of the rhizomes and roots of Veratrum album, L. with the similar parts of Valeriana officinalis, L., is so far as I know, entirely without precedent, but having recently detected such an admixture, I take the first opportunity afforded me of bringing it under the notice of a meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society, in order to guard, as far as possible, against the recurrence of this most serious adulteration. and arrangement of these leaves ought therefore, at once, to lead to the detection of white hellebore rhizomes when mixed with those of valerian. Secondly, the white hellebore rhizomes are much whereas the valerian are commonly more or less larger than those of the valerian, and also entire, cut, as in the specimen now under examination. The rhizomes of veratrum are also of a darker colour, and when of any length marked below with the pits and scars of old roots. Thirdly, a transverse section of white hellebore rhizome presents a large central woody or spongy portion of a whitish or pale buff colour, which is separated by a fine wavy-crenate ring from an outer broad white part which is coated by a thin dark brown or blackish bark-like portion. The appearance of this transverse section, particularly that of the unduThe history of the present case is as follows:-Alating ring, is very different from a similar section short time since I received a letter from an old pupil, of valerian rhizome, which although whitish at first, who is now a pharmaceutical chemist in a large presents, in commercial specimens, a dark brown manufacturing town in this country, enclosing a firm and horny central portion, separated by a dark sample of a drug picked out of a parcel sold to him interrupted cambial zone from the cortical part, as valerian root. In that letter he says, "I sold to which is also of a brown colour. A vertical section a retail customer the other day a small quantity of of veratrum rhizome is also very characteristic, and valerian root. An infusion was made from it and more especially so, from presenting a fine dark wavy conically arranged line running nearly throughout its whole length, and thus separating the outer from its central portion. No such wavy line is seen in valerian rhizome. intense sickness was caused by all who took it; the sickness was so violent that a doctor was sent for, the parties suspecting they were poisoned. They recovered in a few days but remained very weak and sore for several days from its effects." He adds, "Will you kindly examine it and inform me if it is genuine valerian root, as I cannot account for the extraordinary effect it produced?" Before even reading the letter thus describing the effects of this specimen of valerian root, I at once saw that the sample sent had been derived from a species of Veratrum, and immediately wrote to my correspondent to that effect, and to say that the admixture was a most serious one, and that, as its use might be attended with fatal results, I requested him to send the remainder of the specimen to me, and to communicate at once with the house from whom he had received it. On receipt of my letter he telegraphed to the house from whence it had been obtained to stop the sale and get back what was sold of the valerian root, and forwarded as I had requested the remainder of his parcel to me. In this way all further injurious consequences were guarded against as far as was possible from this particular sample; and now, in the hope of preventing any future accidents from such a very serious admixture, I call attention to the principal distinctive characters between the two drugs as exhibited in the present specimen. In the first place the veratrum rhizomes are either crowned by a conical bud of unexpanded leaves, or by the fibrous remains of leaves which they once bore. These leaves, at first sight, bear some faint resemblance to those found at the end of the creeping shoots or stolons which are developed from the rootstock of the true valerian plant, and by which that plant is propagated; but the leaves in the latter plant are opposite to each other, and overlap at their base, while those of veratrum form concentric sheaths, which are arranged one within the other. Moreover, in commercial specimens of valerian root, such stolons are rarely or ever found. The presence *Read at an Evening Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, February 7, 1877. THIRD SERIES, No. 346. Fourthly, the roots of veratrum which arise from the upper part of the rhizome only, are of a paler colour externally than those of valerian rhizome; they are also commonly larger and more shrivelled. Fifthly, the taste of veratrum rhizome and roots is at first sweet, then bitter, acrid, and somewhat numbing; while the similar parts of valerian have no acridity, but are evidently aromatic and somewhat bitter. Sixthly, the veratrum in itself has no marked odour, and although by its admixture with valerian root it has acquired the peculiar odour of that drug, it is feeble when compared with valerian itself. The veratrum rhizome also excites sneezing when cut or bruised, as I found by its action on myself in making sections to examine its structure. Such are the principal distinctive characters of white hellebore and valerian rhizomes and roots. It would not be difficult to mention several others derived from their microscopical and chemical examinations, but my object in the present paper is to allude only to a few characters by which, on the most general examination, the two drugs may be at once distinguished, and in this way, to guard against any possibility of their being confounded together. There is, however, one chemical distinctive character, which is so marked, and at the same time so simple and readily observed, that it will be useful to notice it. This is derived from the application of sulphuric acid to a transverse or vertical section of the two rhizomes. Thus if it be added to a section of white hellebore a deep orange-yellowish-red colour is at once produced from its action on the contained alkaloids, which soon changes to a dark blood-red; but its application to a section of valerian is simply to heighten the natural colour of that drug. The sample of valerian root which forms the subject of this paper when it reached me weighed exactly forty-two ounces, of which thirty-four ounces were true valerian, and eight ounces white hellebore rhizome, so that the serious nature of the admixture may be at once seen. In the sample I also found a few pieces of veratrum rhizome without any trace of leaves, but with the roots still attached. Such pieces have, of course, a much greater resemblance to valerian root, but they can be readily distinguished with ordinary care, by the different appearances presented on making a transverse or vertical section of the two rhizomes, and by the action of sulphuric acid. And now I must say a few words with regard to the botanical and geographical sources of the veratrum rhizome thus found mixed with valerian root, and the probable way in which such a mixture occurred. It would be difficult, if not impossible, from the specimen before us, to pronounce with absolute certainty as to the species from which it had been derived, but I have little doubt that it was from some form of Veratrum album, L., and that both it and the valerian rhizome were gathered together, and probably in ignorance of their different natures, on the continent of Europe, and imported into this country in this mixed condition. But since I first formed this opinion, my correspondent from whom the specimen was derived informs me, that the explanation now given to him is, "that the bales of valerian and veratrum had been broken at the docks-the contents scattered about and carelessly picked up and stuffed in any way." I can scarcely believe in such gross carelessness; and moreover an additional argument in favour of the cause of the mixture I have suggested, is derived from the fact that the veratrum rhizome is not imported in the state in which it is found in the present specimen, but commonly without attached fibre, and with but faint traces of leaves in the form of concentric sheaths at the apex. It is true that pieces of rhizome may be sometimes found in bales of white hellebore which present all the appearances I have described as being found in the present specimen ; but so far as I know, bales of such rhizomes are rarely or ever found in commerce. But whatever conclusion we may form as to the cause of the mixture of the two drugs, it seems quite clear that it was accidental, for although foreign valerian root is higher in price than that of white hellebore, the difference is not more than two pence in the pound; so that there could scarcely be any temptation on this ground for the addition of white hellebore rhizomes to those of the valerian. There are two practical conclusions which I think we may draw from the present inquiry. First, the pressing necessity of an examination by a competent person, appointed for that purpose, of imported drugs, more especially when these are plants or parts of plants, such as roots, rhizomes, leaves, etc., for every one who is familiar with the bad condition in which such drugs now frequently arrive in this country, and the accidental and intentional adulterations, to which they are liable, must see the importance of this; and secondly, we may learn that even we cannot be too careful in examining the drugs in our home stores and pharmacies, for so far as the specimen which forms the subject of the present paper is concerned, it has been traced through three houses, and its sophistication passed unnoticed, until the accident occurred from its use which caused it to be submitted to a careful examination, and its nature detected. [The discussion on this paper is printed at p. 665.] THE COLOURING MATTER OF THE BY HAROLD SENIER. The red colouring matters which occur in the petals of flowers have been studied by many chemists, but no one, so far as I am aware, has examined specially the red colouring principle of rose petals. The researches to which I refer are those of Marquart, Filhol, Fremy, and Elsner, and while they have served to guide my steps, I have in many cases found them inaccurate as applied to the colouring principle of rose petals specially. Extraction. The dried petals of commerce were first digested with ether, and the ethereal solution removed by filtration. By this treatment quercitrin the yellow colouring matter-and solid fat are removed (Filhol). Experiments were next made to ascertain the relative value, as solvents of the colouring matter, of chloroform water and alcohol. No colouring matter was dissolved by the chloroform; hot water dissolved it freely, but dissolved also much albuminous matter. Alcohol was found decidedly the best, yielding a solution comparatively free from other substances. But while the solution in water is of a bright red colour, that in alcohol is at first colourless-due most likely to some reducing action of the alcohol-but acquires in time a red tint, which brightens with age. From this alcoholic solution the colouring matter was precipitated in a green amorphous state by acetate of lead. This precipitate after washing and drying (100° C.), was treated in two ways:-Firstly, the precipitate suspended in rectified spirit was decomposed by sulphuretted hydrogen, and the mixture filtered (Elsner). Secondly, the precipitate suspended in rectified spirit was decomposed by dilute sulphuric acid, taking care to have the precipitate in excess, and the mixture filtered. Both these latter solutions have a bright red colour. The solution obtained by means of dilute sulphuric acid was found to be the purer, though most of the reactions detailed below may be obtained from either or even from the original alcoholic solution. Action of Reagents.-Dilute acids deepen the colour, but concentrated they decompose it, concenchange the colour from bright red to a deep red with trated nitric yielding a yellow solution. Alkalies a bright green fluorescence, and when added in excess give a yellow solution. A drop of solution of soda and a drop of the solution of colouring matter, placed on a glass slide and slowly evaporated by a gentle heat, yield under the microscope a mass of welldefined crystals. The drawing (fig. 1) represents their form. Potash yields crystals when treated in the same manner (fig. 2). Ammonia itself does not give crystals, but combined with soda gives the forms shown in (fig. 3). With potash, ammonia gives with the colouring matter perfect octahedra fig. 4). These crystals under the microscope, it treated with an acid, yield the colouring matter in the red form, which evidently arises from the crystals not from the solution, thus showing that they are actual combinations of the colouring matter. With considerable difficulty I succeeded in preparing and separating a specimen of the ammonio-potassium salt in octahedra of comparatively large size. *Read at an Evening Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society, February 7, 1877. Carbonic acid does not redden the colourless or green modification, but though possessing this property, esteemed in cochineal, it has not proved practically useful in my hands as an indicator in alkalimetry. Peroxide of hydrogen appeared to give no reaction. Sulphurous acid leaves the colour of a brown shade. To test paper all the solutions have an acid reaction. Neutral and basic acetates of lead give precipitates of a colour varying from a green to a bluish-green. These precipitates decomposed by sulphuric acid yield the colouring matter to the solution, as already mentioned, and deposit sulphate of lead. The action of reagents leads me to conclude that the colouring matter is an acid, and that as such it forms salts-the crystals and precipitates described. Analysis of Lead Salt.-A specimen of the lead salt, previously dried over sulphuric acid, was submitted to ultimate analysis, with the following results: I. 1.219 grams of lead salt gave 0.623 of sulphate of lead. 0.714 of lead salt gave 0.159 of water, and 0:559 of carbonic anhydride. 0358 of lead salt, for nitrogen, gave 0·011 of platinum. II. 1.261 grams of lead salt gave 0.647 of sulphate of lead. 0.545 gave 0.1215 of water, and 0.4341 of carbonic anhydride. 0-902 of lead salt, for nitrogen, gave 0.016 of platinum. III. 0.169 gram of lead salt gave 0 088 of sulphate of lead. 0.2491 gave 0:0545 of water, and 0.191 of third time. carbonic anhydride. Nitrogen was not estimated a These figures (omitting the nitrogen which is probably an impurity) correspond to some such formula as the following: Pb C2H2O30, thus Mercuric nitrate and chloride both give a slight white or pinkish precipitate, soluble in water. Hy drate of barium yields a yellowish green precipitate, as does also hydrate of calcium, both becoming brown -when deprived of moisture. No precipitates are given by chloride of platinum, nitrate of silver, or the usual alkaloidal reagents except very slight ones by iodohydrargyrate and trinitrophenic acid. about the proportion required. The most interesting as long as carbon dioxide escaped, then rendered of the spectra observed are illustrated in figures 5, alkaline with potassium hydrate, shaken with chlo6, and 7. Figure 5 represents the absorption spectroform, the chloroform solution drawn off and evarum of the solution rendered acid by sulphuric acid, figure 6 that of the solution made alkaline by ammonia, and figure 7 the spectrum of the solution treated with stannic chloride. In conclusion, I have to thank Mr. Saunders for permitting me to work out most of this research in the laboratories of Messrs. Godfrey and Cooke, and my brother Dr. A. Senier, who by permission of Professor Attfield made the necessary combustions in the laboratories of the Pharmaceutical Society. [The discussion on this paper is printed at p. 665]. NOTE ON THE ACTION OF DILUTE NITRIC ACID ON BRUCIA.* BY W. A. SHENSTONE, F. C.S. In an abstract of a paper by Professor Sonnenschein, published in the Pharmaceutical Journal, (No. 272, 3rd series) it was stated that by warming with dilute nitric acid, brucia yields strychnia, accompanied by a yellow resin, etc., carbonic acid gas being at the same time given off. In April, 1876 Pharmaceutical Journal, No. 304), Mr. Cownley gave an account of a number of experiments made by himself on the subject, using pure brucia and nitric acid of various strengths. In no case was he able to obtain evidence of the production of strychnia. As Sonnenschein obtained strychnia in sufficient quantity to prepare its hydrochlorate and determine the chlorine in it, these statements are, I think, sufficiently opposed to make further experiments on the subject interesting, and I have therefore lately paid some attention to the subject. 1. My first experiments were made with commercial brucia of apparently good quality and of known source. (a) About 5 gram of brucia was heated in a water-bath with a mixture of 1 part of acid. nitric., B.P. and 9 parts of water, then rendered alkaline with potassium hydrate and shaken with chloroform, the chloroform solution drawn off by means of a separating funnel and evaporated; the residue gave full indications of strychnia with sulphuric acid and bichromate of potassium. (b) A similar experiment to (a), but the solution of brucia in nitric acid was evaporated on a waterbath, the acid being thus gradually concentrated, this was in effect using a stronger acid. Only slight evidence of strychnia was obtained on examining the residue from chloroform. (c) Also a similar experiment to (a), but using nitric acid half the strength of the acid employed in that case. Crystals were obtained in some quantity which gave the reaction of strychnia. In all these experiments carbon dioxide was given off in considerable quantity, and the strychnia was accompanied by a small amount of a yellow resinous substance. 2. The following experiments were made with brucia specially prepared for me by Mr. John Williams, whom I take this opportunity of thanking for his assistance : (a) 5 gram of brucia was warmed with several times its weight of nitric acid (17.5 per cent. HNO3) *Read at an Evening Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society, February 7, 1877. porated, and the residue examined for strychnia. Six such experiments were made; in each case the residue was a yellow resinous substance, and in only two cases could strychnia be found in it, and then only after heating for some hours with strong sulphuric acid to destroy the resinous body. (b) Another series of six experiments, using the same brucia as in (a), and nitric acid containing only 50 per cent. of HÑO,; in some cases heat was applied by a water-bath till escape of carbon dioxide ceased; in others care was taken to prevent any evolution of gas. The acid liquid was rendered alkaline with potassium hydrate, and treated with chloroform. On evaporating the chloroform a residue was obtained, which, after heating on a water-bath with strong sulphuric acid for some hours, diluting with water, adding excess of alkali, and agitation with and subsequent evaporation of chloroform, gave a small quantity of pale yellow residue that showed the strychnia reaction freely in every case. 3. Some of the brucia used for experiment No. 2 was dissolved in acetic acid and partially precipitated by potassium hydrate, the precipitate washed and dried, and two portions of 5 gram each were treated respectively with nitric acid containing 17.5 and 50per cent. of HNO3, and after addition of alkali to the acid solution, strychnia was searched for by the same process as before, especial care being taken in heating with sulphuric acid to destroy the accompanying resin, as only a small amount of strychnia was likely to be present. The presence of strychnia was established in each case, but evidently in reduced quantity, the best reaction being obtained from the product of the 5 per cent. acid. 4. Brucia purified by myself, by a process described later on, was taken as before in quantities of 5 gram, and heated on a water-bath with the five per cent. nitric acid so long as carbon dioxide escaped, the liquid alkalized, and exhausted with chloroform, the residue from evaporating the chloroform charred with sulphuric acid, and examined for strychnia by the usual plan. In one case a most doubtful indication, in the other three none at all, was obtained. It will be seen that the above experiments, like Mr. Cownley's, fail to confirm Professor Sonnenschein's results, as the strychnia found steadily decreased with the increased care taken in purifying the brucia. I was not, like Mr. Cownley, fortunate in the purity of the brucia I first experimented with and from the trouble I experienced in preparing pure brucia, I feel some curiosity as to the source of his alkaloid; but I do not regret the fact, as I think it has enabled me to confirm Mr. Cownley's observations by a somewhat different series of experiments to those made by him. It will be observed that the experiments with results, and that even in one of the last set of ex17.5 per cent. nitric acid do not give quite accordant been due to the presence of a trace of strychnia in periments a reaction was obtained which may have the brucia; this led me to perform the following experiments, in order to ascertain whether a small by heating with even very dilute nitric acid, in quantity of strychnia in brucia may not be destroyed which case my own purified brucia may only have been so far free that the small quantity remaining is destroyed in searching for it. |